The Body of the War-Feeder
by Cynical Classicist
Summary: The Doctor and Norine land on a ruined planet where they find a spaceship containing a vat of flesh and skeletons. What happened to the crew? And what is happening to Norine? Please read my other stories, Norine first appeared in The Sleeping Survivors and this story follows on from Murder on Rand 2. 15th in a series.


In the vastness of space a planet whirled around a young star. The surface of this planet had been heavily radioactive for many years, deadly enough to kill a human within an hour of exposure. But as the years moved on the radiation level dropped. Humans would be capable of going there. And something was waiting…

The TARDIS spun around in time and space, the Doctor dancing round the console. "Where to now?" he asked his companion Norine. "Do you have any real idea where we're going?" said Norine. "A bit" said the Doctor. "But mostly I just go whether she wants me." He gazed up at the TARDIS. "Why don't we just let her go where she wants this trip" said Norine. "Old habits die hard!" said the Doctor. "I like that film." He pressed some buttons. "Off we go!" he said. There was a bang and the TARDIS moved towards another world. The familiar groaning sound of materialisation began.

The Doctor pressed the wibbly lever and ran out. "Another world!" he said, running around. Norine walked out and saw devastation around them, a ruined city. "Doesn't look that nice a place" she said. "You're just saying that because you've barely seen any of it!" said the Doctor. "I'm sure we'll find something excited." He ran off towards one of the less damaged buildings. Norine smiled and followed him. The TARDIS crew weren't aware of it, but they were being watched.

The Doctor ran into the building. At the front was a large room, with a variety of twisted metals. "HELLO THERE!" yelled the Doctor. "That might attract trouble…" said Norine nervously. "If there's trouble there's adventure!" said the Doctor. He ran around. "Come on Norine!" Norine wandered around the room and suddenly gave a shriek. "What is it?" said the Doctor, bounding over. Norine pointed at a skeleton with a shattered skull. On the ground next to it lay a gun, covered in dust, still in the skeleton's hand. The Doctor looked uneasy. "This…looks like suicide" he said. He examined the material round the bones. "An Anti-Radiation suit" he said. "It looks like they came from earth. Must be centuries into the future." Norine happened to glance into another room. "There's another one!" she cried. The Doctor moved in slowly. This one also wore the remains of an anti-radiation suit and had a broken ribcage. "Oh, this is really not nice" said the Doctor. "He seems to have been also been shot." "Who do you think did this?" said Norine. "Could that guy in there have shot them both?" "Perhaps" said the Doctor. "Do you think there is anybody else around here?" said Norine. "These people have been dead for months!" said the Doctor. "There are probably no others here!" "You say they died months ago. Do you actually have a Doctorate?" asked Norine. "Of course I do!" said the Doctor. "I got one in Glasgow, at Asclepius, and one in Ancient Martian Poetry!" The Doctor smiled as he thought back. "That was an odd year." "Anyway, we should if there is anybody else around here" said Norine. "Alright" said the Doctor. "Let's begin the search!"

The Doctor began to search the building. He scanned with his sonic screwdriver. "Something over there!" he cried, running towards the wall and jumping over a collapsed pillar and section of roof. He tapped the wall and there was a hollow sound. "What could be hidden here?" thought the Doctor, brushing away the dust of years. There seemed to be a large door, with a powerful lock. The Doctor examined it with the sonic. "What could be inside you?" he said, trying to open it. There were a few dull clicks, and a cloud of dust moved from the lock. "Jammed. Well, it probably hasn't been used for years" said the Doctor. He struck the lock hard with a piece of metal from the floor. There was a clang, then a click. "Can you open now?" said the Doctor. Another minute's work with the sonic screwdriver and the door swung open. The Doctor entered and saw an array of advanced technology. He scanned one about half his height. "A missile" he said. "Wouldn't want to set this off." He scanned a few others. "All weapons" he said. "Must have been locked here for safety." He sighed. "The things they wanted to keep safe were the things that prevented safety." He walked out of the weapons room. "I think I'll see what's outside" he said.

The Doctor left the building through one side and saw a large starship. "A starship!" he yelled delightedly. The door was open and the Doctor dashed in. He looked about. "I wonder if it was the crew outside" he said. He looked about and saw a door to the side. "Open door, deserted ship, this is like a dream!" he said excitedly. The Doctor entered the room and saw a huge vat of something. "What is in there?" he wondered aloud. He walked forward and almost tripped over something, hidden in the darkness. The Doctor looked down and saw another skeleton, with a hole in the head. "Not a nice place" said the Doctor. He looked at the vat. "Perhaps this will answer some questions" he said. He began using the sonic screwdriver and examined the readings. "Flesh!" he said. "Let's see, what quality is it? Should help the dating." He examined it, not thinking about what was happening elsewhere.

Norine walked around the building. "What a creepy place" she said, leaning against a wall. There was a crashing sound behind her and she jumped back with a yelp, before realising it was just part of the wall collapsing from her leaning on it. "Good the Doctor didn't see that" she laughed. "I think…" She stopped suddenly. She had a feeling that something was behind her. Norine turned round, preparing to attack. But there was nobody there. "Hello!" she called. She heard something again, like a growl. Norine was afraid to look but moved round again, not wanting to let anything sneak up on her. Again there was nothing there. Norine felt scared. She decided to go back to the Doctor and ran outside. She saw the ship. "I suppose the doctor's there" she said and ran inside. "Doctor!" she called. There was no answer. "Doctor?" she said curiously. "Boo!" said a voice behind her. She screamed and punched back, knocking the Doctor against a wall. "It's only me!" he said. "Very funny Doctor" she said. She remembered what had happened. "Doctor…I think there is something else on this world…" "Not now!" said the Doctor. "I want to show you what I found!"

He leapt into the other room and showed Norine the vat. "Look what I found!" he said cheerily. "It would be impressive if I knew what it was" said Norine. "It's Flesh!" said the Doctor. Norine looked uncomfortable but tried to hide it. "So…soup for Hannibal Lector?" she asked. "Not actual flesh" said the Doctor quickly. "It's a formula used for cloning! I had a meeting with them in the 22nd Century." "So, this is the 22nd Century?" said Norine. "Of course not!" said the Doctor. "This is better quality Flesh. I know that Flesh had this quality in the 28th Century…" "So why bring this… Flesh?" asked Norine. "This planet used to be so radioactive it could have killed you twice over by now!" said the Doctor. "TARDIS radiation readings showed me. Been checking them carefully since my 440s! "But it's not now?" asked Norine. "Of course not!" replied the Doctor. "This planet should have only reached habitable level recently. The Gangers would be needed for work." Norine looked around and saw the skeleton. "You could have told me" she said annoyed. "I must have forgotten" said the Doctor. "I think the matter is what happened here?"

There was a sinister laugh and Norine turned around. "Doctor…" she said. "There really is something here." The Doctor looked up. "I can feel something here too" he said. He spun around. "WHERE ARE YOU!" he yelled. There was no answer. "Are there any monsters creeping round here?" said the Doctor. "The stuff of nightmares? Because if so I'm the stuff of your nightmares!" Both of them turned as they seemed to hear a sinister laugh. "What…DOCTOR!" screamed Norine. She saw red eyes and a mouth moving towards her at incredible speed, with flame around it and fell over backwards. "What?" said the Doctor, unable to see what was causing the panic. Suddenly Norine gave a horrible scream, her voice twisting out of shape as her eyes suddenly glowed red for under a second before she fell unconscious.

She was swimming through something, not water, not air, lighter than either. She called out, "Get me out of here!" Before her she saw the Doctor, yelling something at her, but it was only a faint echo. "Doctor…" _"You can't escape"_ said a sinister voice. "Who…Who are you?" said Norine. She felt something warm close to her, but not gentle warmth, more like a fire. She turned and recoiled, seeing something terrifying before her. It looked like a serpent, about a metre long. Its scaly body was a vibrant blood-red, with deadly-looking spikes running along it. The monster's head resembled a vulture, but with brutal-looking horns. The beak contained vicious-looking fangs and from it dripped blood and fire. The smell of a corpse lingered on the creature. _"I am the War-Feeder" _said the War-Feeder. _"Your body is mine!"_ Norine swiped at the War-Feeder, which easily evaded her and moved closer, laughing horribly and sending flecks of hot blood from its mouth like hail. Norine yelped as it hit her face, scalding her. _"You will submit!"_ snarled the creature cruelly. _"No human can break my hold!"_ It slithered around Norine, she struggled but it was too strong and held her too tightly for her to move or speak. Its hideous face moved very close to her face. She recoiled, trying to look away as the hideous creature looked at her._ "You are mine! This is the body of the War-Feeder!"_

The Doctor tried to revive Norine. "Norine, Norine, Listen to me!" He shook her. "I will get you out of this, I promise!" he said. Her eyes snapped again. "Ah, Norine…" The Doctor stopped short as he saw her eyes glowing red. "Maybe I should come back with a Priest" said the Doctor, edging away. _"Doctor"_ said Norine, in a twisted version of her voice. "What are you?" said the Doctor. _"I am feared on many worlds…"_ "So am I" said the Doctor. "I know a lot like that. Just say what you are." _"I am kin to the Mara. I am of the Pantheon of Discord" _said whatever was in Norine's body. _"I am the War-Feeder!"_ "The War-Feeder" said the Doctor. "I might have heard of you. One of those big evil entities that delight in destroying civilisations?" _"I have existed for a long time. I feed on violence, on slaughter. I began the War between the Sontarans and Rutans. I was on Skaro as it tore itself apart and created a species that has brought war across the Galaxies!"_

Norine's voice suddenly changed back to normal and the red faded. "Doctor…help…I can't…" She gave a strangled gasp and there was a blaze of red again as her voice changed, as if a wet log was suddenly ignited in flames. So did the voice of the War-Feeder again issue from Norine's lips. _"Silence human" _it snarled like she was a dog. _"I existed when your race committed their first murder. You cannot go against me!"_ "What do you want with her?" said the Doctor angrily. "Why have you taken her?" _"I am merely a brain without a hand. I exist on a different dimension to you"_ said the War-Feeder. _"I take your bodies. Your mind had too many layers for a quick takeover. But her body was available, Time Lord."_ "You know who I am then" said the Doctor, trying to sound threatening. The War-Feeder-Norine laughed. _"I had already heard of you. But in her mind I know all she knows. I know of Grukup, of Kepler, of Ruwilen But before that I had heard of you ending the Time War, of you expelling the Mara, and finally slaying the Great Vampire."_ "Then you know what happened to them" said the Doctor. "You know what happened to all those Monsters. They met a bigger one. And if you cause any harm to Norine you will know how much of a Monster I was to the Daleks, or Vampires, or Sontarans." _"Few have had your companion's body Doctor."_

"How can I get you out?" said the Doctor. "Because I will find a way." _"I can offer you a pact Doctor, by which I will leave this form."_ "I am not going to help you" said the Doctor. "I can't give something to one as evil as you." _"Perhaps in another form that would happen. But not now. You care more for these small creatures, which are like brute beasts to you."_ "What do you want?" said the Doctor. _"There is Flesh on this ship, Doctor. Often these forms are limited, too ordered, not with enough chaos in their form. But the Flesh…"_ "No" said the Doctor, realising what the War-Feeder was planning. _"This will be a better form for me and the girl will be freed"_ said the War-Feeder angrily."You are not having me make a body for you. From the sound of it you've already caused enough evil." _"Then why don't you test the body of this earth female? See what inhabitation from me is doing to her?"_ The Doctor moved forward cautiously. He scanned Norine and checked her heartbeat. "You're killing her. I warn you get out!" _"How long does she have?"_ "Only a few hours at this rate…"_ "Then you had better get started!"_ said the War-Feeder. _"You have the equipment. Begin!"_

The Doctor began working on the Flesh miserably, wondering what to do. The War-Feeder continued to watch hungrily. "So what did you do to the people who came here with the Flesh?" asked the Doctor. _"Four people came here." _"There were only…" _"I possessed one of them and slew another. His body was burnt in the fires of the engine. But one of the others saw what was happening. He shot the body I inhabited when I attacked him. I realised he could resist me and entered another body. But he slew that one before I could slay him. He then shot himself so I couldn't take his body."_ "I suppose this world was destroyed by you" said the Doctor. _"It was. A whole world, consumed in the fires it made. A sight of such beauty."_ "Only beings like you see beauty in that" said the Doctor. "Those that destroy, like Sutekh and Fenric." Norine's body moved forward and struck her head against the wall. "Stop!" said the Doctor. A bruise was forming on the head. The body turned and sneered._ "Soon I will no longer be in this body. I can do with it what I want. Do not continue to oppose me."_

The Doctor remembered what he had seen in the chambers. "What would you do with his body of yours?" he said, continuing to solidify but still keep unstable the Flesh._ "I think you already know Doctor. I may not be able to hold your mind but I can still see it."_ "How can I be sure? It may just be big talk…"_ "You think I will take the weapons of this world. I will create such beautiful violence across the stars."_ "Good luck getting off world" said the Doctor. "The problem with having one of our silly little bodies is that you have physical obstacles. And you have to breathe." _"You forget, Doctor, that a great ship rests nearby." _The Doctor realised what the War-Feeder planned. "No" he said flatly. "There's only room for one monster in there. And let me tell you, I will destroy the TARDIS and turn this planet inside out rather than have you get it!" _"What do you expect me to do when I have my body?" _"I'll think of a way out. I generally do" said the Doctor. "And where else will you find a way to escape this world?" _"Doctor, we are in a ship that travels the stars"_ said the War-Feeder. "It isn't in great condition. You'd have to be a fool to use something like that" the Doctor replied mockingly. Norine slapped herself. _"Don't insult me Doctor! This world contains fuel. A few weeks of work, and I should be able to reach an inhabited planet. Then the gates of war will be thrown open. Fire and Death will belch forth. And you. Doctor, will have unlocked them!"_

The Doctor finally finished the treatment of the Flesh. "Well, War-Feeder, here's your pile of Flesh. Hope there is enough to contain you." Norine's body moved closer to the Doctor and smiled. _"Are you trying to trick me Doctor? Because if you are you and your companion will know such agony…"_ "I've heard enough, just get in your body" said the Doctor. Norine's eyes surveyed him, as if they were looking into his soul. Then they blazed red like headlamps and her mouth opened. The Doctor gave a cry as for a moment fire seemed to fly out. But within a second her eyes returned to normal and she collapsed. The Doctor knelt down next to her. "Norine! Norine!" he yelled at her. Her eyes opened. "Doctor" she said, sounding scared. "It's all right now Norine. The War-Feeder is out." "Doctor, what have you done?" said Norine. "I got that monster out" said the Doctor. But Norine looked more scared. "That thing is evil. Evil! And you…you helped it." "I had to. I can't let people die" said the Doctor. "But…" Norine stopped speaking and with incredible speed got up and started running away. The Doctor stood up, spun round, and saw a huge claw rise from the vat.

The War-Feeder rose from the vat of Flesh in a terrifying body, with blood visibly running through. It was 5 metres tall, with the horned vulture head and blazing red eyes. It had four arms, each clawed and corpse-like. A tail moved about, like a huge serpent. Huge feet, with claws like scythes, carried it forward in its first step, gouging the ground. The hideous head looked straight out the Doctor, a forked tongue flicking out and laughed. _"At last, a body of my own!"_ The Doctor edged back and ran, hearing the terrifying voice behind him crying _"You cannot escape!"_

The Doctor ran out of the ship and saw Norine in the distance. Horribly close behind him he heard a squelching sound and a hissing roar. Turning he saw the War-Feeder slithering towards him, now the whole body had become that of a serpent, its vulture head still glaring at him, and the mouth open. _"Run Doctor! All must run before me!"_ it said. And the Doctor ran, hearing the laugh behind him, from the creature that had devoured billions, and attacked hundreds of worlds. He ran through a building, the door was barely large enough for him to enter. But behind him there was a sinister squelch and he saw the Flesh of the War-Feeder oozing through. The arms shot out at him, swift as a striking snake. The Doctor only just dodged. He knew the War-Feeder was merely playing with him sadistically, wanting to savour the experience of personally killing.

A shard of metal struck the War-Feeder. It pulled the metal from the body and flung it away with strength greater then a score of men. It turned and laughed. _"Norine Clarke. The girl who slept past her time. I know you fear me."_ "I do fear you" said Norine defiantly. "But I"m still going to fight you." _"Violence is the way of all"_ said the War-Feeder triumphantly to the Doctor. "Violence may be part of nature" said the Doctor. "But there are different types. I try not to be the one who strikes first."_ "But when you do strike, you create a feast for me. You have torn entire worlds, greater than this, apart."_ "I may be a monster like you. But I'm…Whoa!" cried the Doctor, dodging a strike from the War-Feeder. He turned and ran to Norine. "Let's get out!" he said. He ran out closely followed by Norine, the War-Feeder following them almost lazily.

The Doctor ran round the building with Norine. "We could get to the TARDIS" he said. "We could leave that creature here. I know how terrible it must have been…" "It was" said Norine. "But that means we must stop it. I felt utter violence in there. We can't let that monster leave…" The Doctor stopped her suddenly as they got round the corner and saw the War-Feeder dripping out of the wall like water from a cracked dam. "Back that way!" he said and they ran back. The Doctor turned. "Norine, I want you to do something very important" he said. "I want you to distract…" "…That slimy monster" she finished. "Can you…" "I can do a lot of things!" she said. "Just do what you have to." They heard a creaking next to them as the wall cracked. "Good luck then" said the Doctor, running round as a face formed from the cracks in the wall. Norine gritted her teeth and yelled at the War-Feeder. "Sure you made the right decision leaving this body? Sure it's better?" She nimbly leapt back from a powerful slash and moved away. The War-Feeder glanced where the Doctor had gone, but decided to seize Norine outside the astral plain. It formed feet and strolled behind her, shrieking horrifically.

The Doctor got into the weapons room and used his sonic screwdriver to open up the small missile. He began working on it, his fingers and screwdriver becoming a blur as he tried to find a way to activate the weapon. "Small but deadly" he said. He smiled. "Like I hope to be to that Monster."

Norine ran around the wrecked city. Seeing what the War-Feeder had done made her feel more determined to foil this creature, to save other worlds from his plans. She wondered how many millions had died in the war. There was a terrible roar behind her and she ran like a rabbit away, the War-Feeder following her like a huge hungry wolf. _"Run, RUN! It makes it sweeter. How glorious it is too have such a body, not so hemmed in!"_ It again shifted to a serpent form and created a rough semblance of its quarry's head. She turned. "I hope I don't look like that" she said._ "Laugh while you can. Savour your last minutes. I will savour you…"_ "Stop" said a voice, quiet but with great command. The War-Feeder altered its body so it faced the other way. _"The great War-Bringer itself!"_ it said in delight. Norine also looked at the Doctor.

The Doctor was standing less than 20 metres away. The War-Feeder could get to him in a few seconds but it moved slowly. The Doctor moved slowly as well, the two forming a circle. "Back to the TARDIS Norine" said the Doctor._ "Yes. Run from me. I still have that ship"_ said the War-Feeder._ "I can still set the Galaxy at war."_ "You may be cruel, you may be ruthless, you may have destroyed more worlds then me, but you seem to be truthful here" said the Doctor, edging back to his TARDIS._ "You may leave this world but those weapons and this body will avail me greatly"_ said the War-Feeder._ "Remember what you did as the Galaxy is embroiled in war, so terrible the conflict between Earth and Draconia will look like a mere war between ships!"_ "Oh yes, those weapons" said the Doctor. He glanced at his wrist. "Pretty deadly. Just one of those could fully bring down this city."_ "What are you talking about Doctor?"_ said the War-Feeder, an edge of suspicion in its voice. The Doctor smiled. "You'll find out within…" he glanced down again "…two minutes and a half." He began to move back, quicker than before. The War-Feeder raised itself into the air, its face taking a frightening jackal-like form the Doctor knew well. _"What have you done?_" it said, fire and poison dripping from its words. "Loom over me all you want" said the Doctor. "Or you can find this. I doubt you'll be able to pilot the TARDIS." With incredible speed the War-Feeder moved into the building, breaking the doors apart. It slithered towards the weapons room, and saw a small bomb had a green light on, and was beeping ominously.

The Doctor ran for the TARDIS. Norine had left the door open and he was soon at the console. "Doctor, what…" "No time!" said the Doctor as the door closed. "But with a bit of effort…" he ran to a different part of the console "…and a bit of luck…" he ran to another section "…we should be away!" They heard a cry outside and on the scanner they saw the War-Feeder coming at them, fast as a racehorse. It crashed into the TARDIS. _"Doctor! I will be revenged for this!"_ "Better then you has tried!" said the Doctor as the War-Feeder twisted itself around the outer shell, trying to ooze in. He smiled. "I put an anti-ooze mechanism into the keyhole ever since San Francisco." _"Doctor…" _"Bye!" cried the Doctor as he hit the dematerialisation switch and the wheezing sound began again, sending the TARDIS away from the planet. The Flesh of the War-Feeder collapsed onto the ground. Within half a minute a ball of fire erupted from the weapons room, tearing the final remnants of the city to ash, and destroying all the Flesh.

"What did you do?" said Norine curiously. The Doctor smiled. "Just used one of the weapons in the Weapons vault. Had the power of 6 atomic bombs. I think we can say that Flesh won't be getting used again." "Is the War-Feeder really gone?" said Norine. The Doctor sighed unhappily. "I'd hope so. But I don't like to make predictions. One of the things I've kept learning in over a millennium is that the worst things have a habit of turning up again." He smiled. "But it should be gone now." He clapped his hands together. "So, where to now?" "Somewhere peaceful" said Norine. "Very peaceful." "Right-o" said the Doctor. "Somewhere peaceful it is!" As he activated the controls he thought he saw a red glare from his reflection in the TARDIS console. But it was gone so quickly he barely thought about it…


End file.
